Rf connector

ABSTRACT

An RF connector for printed circuit boards, strip line cards, printed circuit cables and the like, particularly for microsystem packaging. The connector is adapted to be mounted on a baseboard or strip line card provided with a ground plane. A copper shield is mounted on the body of the connector with individual insulated tabs or fingers and one or more uninsulated tabs or fingers inserted behind the contacts of the connector. The lower edge of the shield is attached to a ground contact or directly to the baseboard or card. The impedance of a signal circuit can be varied by varying the length of the insulated tab that is in close proximity to the signal contact. Preferably the shield is provided with an insulating coating on one side so that electrical contact can be made with a ground contact of the connector by merely folding over the tip end of the grounding tab.

United States Patent Robert F. Knowles 5/1967 Spera 3,399,372 8/1968Uberbacher Primary Examiner-Stephen .l. Novosad Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer AtlorneysEarl R. Evans, Alan C. Rose and Alfred B.Levine ABSTRACT: An RF connector for printed circuit boards, strip linecards, printed circuit cables and the like, particularly formicro-system packaging. The connector is adapted to be mounted on abaseboard or strip line card provided with a ground plane. A coppershield is mounted on the body of the v v connector with individualinsulated tabs or fingers and one or moreuninsulated tabs or fingersinserted behind the contacts of the connector. The lower edge of theshield is attached to a ground contact or directly to the baseboard orcard. The impedance of a signal circuit can be varied by varying thelength of the insulated tab that is in close proximity to the signalcontact. Preferably the shield is provided with an insulating coating onone side so that electrical contact can be made with a ground contactofthe connector by merely folding over the tip end of the grounding tab.

RF CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to aconductive shield for a multicontact electrical connector which providesreduced spacing of the signal and ground contacts both in the connectorand on the baseboard or strip line card on which the connector ismounted. Hitherto the physical separation of conflicting contacts hasbeen wasteful of contact positions both on the connector and thecooperating motherboard or car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an improved edgeboardconnector for printed circuit boards and the like and designed toeconomize on space, particularly in the use of microminiaturecomponents. The connector comprises one or two rows of interspacedsignal and ground contact members disposed in a recess in the connectorbody and adapted to make contact with the terminals of the plug-in boardwhen the board is inserted in the recess. The connector preferably isdesigned to be dip soldered to a baseboard or motherboard or to a groundplane, for example on a strip line card.

A metallic conductive shield on the outside of the body of the connectoris provided with insulated and uninsulated tabs or fingers extendinginto the recess in the connector and adapted to make contact with therespective contact members. The grounded shield is provided with a thininsulating coating on one surface thereof to provide insulation betweenthe shield and signal contacts but permit electrical contact with aground contact member, for example by folding the tip end of the tab orfinger to expose the uninsulated surface at that point. The length ofthe insulated tabs or fingers may be altered to vary the impedance ofthe signal circuit through the adjacent contact member.

In general terms the object of the invention is to provide a compact andeffective arrangement for shielding the connector contact members,providing a path for current flow from the ground contact or contactsand for impedance matching.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the shield and groundingfunctions in a small or miniature connector and facilitate theelectrical connections to a baseboard or other component associated withthe connector.

A still further object of the invention is to obtain impedance matchingwith a signal cable or the like through the contact members of theconnector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a partialperspective view to an enlarged scale of a connector embodying theinvention mounted on a baseboard or associated circuit component;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the connector taken on the line 2-2 ofFlG.l; and

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the insulating copper shield.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The illustrative embodiment ofthe invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing is a miniatureedgeboard electrical connector provided with a double row of contactmembers disposed in a recess in the connector body in position to engagethe terminal contacts 11 of a printed circuit board or similar circuitcomponent 12. As shown, the connector 10 is mounted on a baseboard orpanel 15 having spaced terminals 16 to which the terminals 17 of thecontact members are so]- dered. The general construction of theconnector and cooperating circuit components is conventional and may bemodified for use with other types of circuit boards or with strip linecards or flexible printed circuit cables, as well known to those skilledin the art. In accordance with the invention, a novel metallic groundingshield 20 is provided on one or both of the outer surfaces of theinsulating connector body 21.

As shown by way of example, the resilient contact members 23 and 24 ofthe connector 10 each comprises an arcuate con tact section 25 (see FIG.2) integral with the terminal portion 17, the latter being square incross section so that the contact members are locked in place bytwisting the ends of the terminals as indicated'at 26. The terminalportion of the contact members may be straight as shown for the contactmember 23 or may be deformed as indicated at 28 on the contact member 24in order to locate adjacent terminals in staggered relation if desired.

The metallic shield 20, as shown, consists of a copper plate or fiatsection on the outside of the connector body with integral fingers ortabs 30 extending into the recess in a position to engage the outerportions of the contact members 23 and 24. One surface of the shield 30is coated with a thin durable adhesive insulating coating as shown moreclearly in FIG. 3. After the fingers 30 are formed in the sheet stock bya punching operation, the sheet is folded to provide opposed fingers andskirt section 31 of the required dimensions. In the construction shownby way of example, the contact members 23 and 24 from an array ofinterspersed ground and signal contacts. The finger 30 associated withone of the contact members 23 has the tip end 300 thereof folded toexpose the uninsulated surface and make electrical contact with a groundcontact member. The lower end of the shield 20 is soldered to thecontact terminal as shown at the point 32 and to the ground plane of thebaseboard I5 at the point 33. The insulated finger or tab 30 associatedwith signal contacts 23, 24 does not make electrically conductivecontact with said contacts. The terminal portion of a signal contact 24is shown as soldered to a signal element of the circuit component 15 atthe point 34. The shield 20 may also be provided with an integral tab 35to form a ground lead for the shield.

When used in an RF connector where impedance matching with a printedcircuit cable is desired, the length of the insulated fingers or tabs 30associated with signal contacts may be altered to effect this result,which is an important feature for many applications.

A thin insulating coating on the tabs provides the desired close spacingbetween the shield 20 and the signal contact.

It will be apparent that the invention provides a compact and effectiveconstruction for shielding and grounding the contact members of a smalledgeboard connector, which can be readily adapted for use with printedcircuit board and cables strip line cards and similar circuitcomponents.

It avoids the requirement for physical separation of the conflictingsignal and ground contacts along the length of the connector, which iswasteful of contact positions both on the connector and on themotherboard. Furthennore the positioning of the ground contact is notfixed by the shield stamping and the shield embodying the invention isadaptable to different printed circuit boards. Thus special tooling fordifferent contact arrangements is not required.

What I claim is:

I. In an electrical connector comprising an insulating connector bodyprovided with an inner recess adapted to receive a plug-in member and arow of interspersed signal and ground contacts in said recess eachhaving terminal portions projecting from said connector body, theimprovement comprising a grounded metallic shield having a main sectionoutside said connector body and integral tabs or fingers extending intosaid recess in close proximity to said contacts, one of said tabs orfingers being disposed in electrical contact with said ground contact.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1, in which the groundedshield is provided with an insulating coating on the tabs or fingersadjacent the signal contacts in said recess.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 1, in which said tabs orfingers on the grounded metallic shield are selectively coated withinsulation in certain areas to provide conductive contact with some ofthe connector contacts only.

4. An electrical connector according to claim 1, in which the surface ofat least one of said tabs or fingers is disposed in intimate contactwith the surface of a signal contact but insulated therefrom.

5. An electrical connector comprising a row of interspaced ground andsignal contacts, a metallic ground plate having integral tabs or fingersin physical contact with the respective connector contacts, said tabs orfingers being provided with an insulating coating on the areas where thetabs or fingers engage the signal contacts, and a ground connection forsaid ground plate.

6. An electrical connector comprising an insulating connector bodyprovided with an inner cavity or recess, a plurality of resilientcontact members mounted in said cavity or recess and adapted tocooperate with the terminal contacts of a printed circuit componentinserted in said cavity or recess,

said contact members having integral terminal portions projecting fromthe connector body for mounting the connector on a second circuitcomponent having a ground plane, and a metallic grounding shield on theoutside surface of said insulating connecting body and provided withintegral tabs or fingers projecting inside said cavity or recess in aposition to engage the surface of the respective contact members, saidtabs or fingers having an insulating coating on the surface engagingsaid connector contact members.

7. An electrical connector according to claim 6, in which one of thetabs or fingers is folded over at the tip to make electrical contactwith a predetermined one of the contact members.

1. In an electrical connector comprising an insulating connector bodyprovided with an inner recess adapted to receive a plug-in member and arow of interspersed signal and ground contacts in said recess eachhaving terminal portions projecting from said connector body, theimprovement comprising a grounded metallic shield having a main sectionoutside said connector body and integral tabs or fingers extending intosaid recess in close proximity to said contacts, one of said tabs orfingers being disposed in electrical contact with said ground contact.2. An electrical connector according to claim 1, in which the groundedshield is provided with an insulating coating on the tabs or fingersadjacent the signal contacts in said recess.
 3. An electrical connectoraccording to claim 1, in which said tabs or fingers on the groundedmetallic shield are selectively coated with insulation in certain areasto provide conductive contact with some of the connector contacts only.4. An electrical connector according to claim 1, in which the surface ofat least one of said tabs or fingers is disposed in intimate contactwith the surface of a signal contact but insulated therefrom.
 5. Anelectrical connector comprising a row of interspaced ground and signalcontacts, a metallic ground plate having integral tabs or fingers inphysical contact with the respective connector contacts, said tabs orfingers being provided with an insulating coating on the areas where thetabs or fingers engage the signal contacts, and a ground connection forsaid ground plate.
 6. An electrical connector comprising an insulatingconnector body provided with an inner cavity or recess, a plurality ofresilient contact members mounted in said cavity or recess and adaptedto cooperate with the terminal contacts of a printed circuit componentinserted in said cavity or recess, said contact members having integralterminal portions projecting from the connector body for mounting theconnector on a second circuit component having a ground plane, and ametallic grounding shield on the outside surface of said insulatingconnecting body and provided with integral tabs or fingers projectinginside said cavity or recess in a position to engage the surface of therespective contact members, said tabs or fingers having an insulatingcoating on the surface engaging said connector contact members.
 7. Anelectrical connector according to claim 6, in which one of the tabs orfingers is folded over at the tip to make electrical contact with apredetermined one of the contact members.